Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER C. MARTIN, OF OHIGAGQ'ILLINOIS.

CA R-COU PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,735, dated August8, 1893.

Application filed April 15, 1893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER C. MARTIN, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters ofreference in the different figures indicate like parts. i

The object of my invention is to provide a car-coupler which maybeoperated with safety from the side of the car, the appliances forcoupling being a hook and loop which are so constructed and arrangedthat the ordinary link and pin may be employed in connection therewithand adapted to cars of varying height ;all of which is hereinafter morefully described and definitely claimed.

Figure 1. of the drawings represents a vertical, longitudinal sectionalView of a carcoupler embodying the features of my inventi0n,the samebeing shown as it appears when employed in connectionwith a link andpin. Fig. 2. is a like view showing the coupling hooks in a reverseposition and likewise coupled with a link and pin. Fig. 3. is a likeview showing the manner of coupling by means of the hook and loop, andFig. 4. is a perspective view of a draw-head showing the hook therein asit appears when in its normalposition.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the usual draw-bar, integralwith which is the draw-head b. The latter is open at the top and front,and within the opening, pivoted at c, is an elbow-shaped coupling deviced, which is provided with a hook e, a loop f, a linksocket g, and apin-socket h. The socket g, is arranged substantially at right angles tothe hook, while the pin-socket h, is substantially parallel with thehook and at right angles or substantially so, to the axis of the socket9.

As is obvious, the primary purpose is to dispense with the use of a linkand pin whenever possible; and to use instead, the hook e, and loop f,in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The hook may be operated by means of anysuitable appliance at the side of the car which will insure safety tothe operator; but in case Serial No. 470.550. (No model.)

it should become necessary to connect myimproved coupler with any otherform of drawbar, then the usual link and pin may be employed. If thedraw-bar with which the connection is to be made is unusually high, thenthe hook e may be thrown down as shown in Fig. 1, in which case the bodyof the hook is received in a notch i, better shown in Figs. 2 and 3,formed in the face of the draw-head, which enables the outer face of thehook to be flush with that of the draw-head. By this means thehookisprotected from being broken by the impact of the draw-heads. Thelink j, may then be placed in the socket g and secured by placing thepin it, in the socket It. Should, however, the bar with which thecoupling is to be made be lower, then the coupling device d, may bethrown back as shown in Fig. 2, when the linkj, may be inserted beneaththe loop f, and the pin is, inserted through said loop and into a socketZ, formed in the bottom of the draw-head as clearly shown in Fig. 2,which socket is in vertical alignment with the inner face of the loop f.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a link-and-pin coupling may bereadily made with my improved coupling device when the difference inheight of the draw-bars is very great; While, at the same time, its useas a safety coupling is in no wise impaired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination in acar-coupler, of a coupling device consisting of a hook and loop integralwith each other and pivoted within the draw-head, a link-socket formedwithin said coupling device substantially at right angles to the body ofthe hook, and a pinsocket having its axis substantially at right anglesto that of said link-socket.

2. The combination with a draw-head, of an elbow-shaped coupling devicepivotally mounted therein, said device having a hook upon one part and aslotted arm or loop upon the other, a link-socket therein arrangedsubstantially at right angles to the body of the 1 3. The combinationWithadraW-head, of an elbow-shaped coupling device pivoted thereinhaving a hook upon one part and a loop upon the other,link-socketgandpin-socket h, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a draw-head open at the top and front, of anelbow-shaped coupler having a hook upon one part and a link uponanother, of the link-socket g, pin-socket h, and the cut-away portiont', whereby the hook may be protected from impact while the link is usedin connection with the socket g.

5. The combination with a draw-head, of a pivoted hook-and loop couplingdevice and double link sockets, one of which is formed in the pivotedcoupling device itself and the other in the bottom of the draw-headbeneath the loop, substantially as described.

6. Acar-coupler consisting of two elbows pivotally secured in oppdsitedrawheads which are open at the front and top respectively, each of saidelbows having a hook upon the extremity of one arm and a correspondingloop or opening at or near the extremity of the other, said elbows beingprovided with link-sockets therein substantially at right angles to thebodies of the hooks, pin-sockets arranged substantially at right anglesto the axes of said link-sockets, and pin-sockets in the bottoms of saiddraw-heads in alignment with said loops, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a draw-head, of the pivoted coupling device d,having loop f, a space beneath for the reception of alink, link and pinsockets g h, respectively, and a pinsocket in the bottom of thedraw-head andin vertical alignment either with the pin-socket h or loopf, according as said coupling device is in one or the other of itsextreme positions, substantially as described. a

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of April, A. D. 1893.

ALEXANDER G. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, E. UTTING.

